Going, Going…Gone

Following the marathon in October, I gained 3 pounds. It really didn’t start until November as a result of the holidays but mostly due to the fact I was working 70 hours a week. I wasn’t eating right and I definitely wasn’t getting my exercise in. I felt awful, but there was nothing I could do. I was so exhausted and so busy, I was just trying to keep sane. In January, things finally calmed down at my office and with my freelance work so I was able to get back into a routine.

The routine had its ups and downs. I was definitely going out to eat more to socialize with friends who I hadn’t seen during my busy time. So the 3 pounds wasn’t budging. Three pounds doesn’t sound like much, but if you let 3 slide, then it becomes 5 and then it becomes 10 and down rabbit hole you go. I was fretting about the 3 pounds, but I knew it’d come off eventually.

One of the hardest thing was getting a regular workout schedule going again at work. With a new promotion came new responsibilities and less time. However, my workouts are important not only for weight maintenance, but they help me greatly with stress. So I started marking them on my email calendar as a meeting so people wouldn’t schedule things at the office during this time. It really worked! I was able to leave and get my workout in. The interesting thing is that my work still got done. So it was okay to take some time for myself.

I cut back drastically on eating out. For one thing, I was tired of it. It doesn’t taste as good as homemade food and it was no longer a special treat I enjoyed. I made sure I allotted time to cook my meals and take my lunch. I got back to recording my calorie intake regularly as I had sometimes let it lapse.

Today, the 3 pounds is officially gone. It’s not much, but I can tell the difference in my clothes. I feel better too. Mostly I just feel good that I caught it before it turned into a serious number. That’s the key. If you put on a few pounds from the holidays or a vacation, it’s okay. It happens. Just make sure to get on top of it before it gets out of control. Put workout appointments on your phone or email calendar to make sure you get them in. Take time to record your food. These are all simple steps to success.

The Obesity Stigma Continues…

This week in the news, fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, made headlines for calling superstar singer Adele fat. Although this isn’t the first time the designer has commented on others’ weight, for some reason, this one seemed especially cruel. Adele is recovering from vocal chord surgery, overcame a bad break-up (hence the reason her album is so successful) and is right now enjoying some much deserved praise as she sails into the Grammys with 6 nominations.

Adele is an amazingly talented singer. She is probably one of the best voices to come along in decades. Yet, rather than praising her Lagerfeld points out her weight. Typical in the society we currently live in. Demi Moore and Lindsay Lohan get more sympathy for their drug problems than the overweight do. Bridesmaids actress Melissa McCarthy is up for an Oscar, but it seems like every time she is mentioned, somehow her size is worked into the article. Whether it’s something along the lines of a plus sized actress getting a nomination or who thought she’d make it in Hollywood with her size.

Also, the majority of the comments out there are directed towards women. Overweight men never come under the same scrutiny. Being overweight is the ultimate sin in our society right now. It’s sad, because overeating is a legitimate problem just like alcohol and drug addiction, but it is still being ostracized.

Adele has repeatedly said over and over that she is comfortable in her own skin and represents the vast majority of the women in the world as more are closer to her size than a supermodel’s. I commend her for taking that stand, but I’m sure somewhere, deep down it does hurt to hear those things.

Obviously being overweight can be unhealthy and dangerous, and it is good to slim down a bit in order to prevent diseases like diabetes, cancer and heart problems. But, people can weigh more than the “norm” and be considered fit and healthy if they exercise and take care of themselves.

Instead of criticizing these women for their struggles and flaws, we need to praise them for their accomplishments with no strings attached. Adele is a great singer, period. Melissa McCarthy is a talented comedian. That’s all that needs to be said.

3 Squares a Day? Not So Much.

USA Today: Eat What I Want When I Want Trend

I read a very disturbing article in USA Today (linked above) the other day about America’s eating habits. It was only a few weeks ago that I read that if we keep going at our current rate, nearly 50% of America will be obese by 2030. I was having a hard time believing it. Then I read about our snacking culture in USA Today and completely understand why that will be true.

When I started to lose weight, one of the hardest habits I had to break was snacking. I kept munchies in my desk and nibbled all day. It took a few months, but I finally weaned myself off of snacking and got on a healthy track of eating 3 meals a day and an occasional snack if I were super hungry.

The article I read was entirely about how America doesn’t eat 3 meals a day anymore. We snack all day and eat weird food at weird times. The meals that are eaten really aren’t meals, but snacks like popcorn chicken or Special K bars. At McDonald’s, 20% of the cookies and apple pies are sold at breakfast because people use them to snack on. It’s considered completely normal now to skip meals and just eat random (mostly fast food) snacks and junk food all day.

According to the article, only 5% of all consumers eat three square meals a day. I was flabbergasted at this statistic. Do people really eat granola bars, yogurt cups, cookies, and popcorn chicken all day? Apparently so. All marketers for the major fast food corporations are now pushing towards new quick snack products that can be eaten in cars. McDonald’s is going to release McBites next year which is their version of popcorn chicken. IHOP is selling a Cup O’ Pancakes which is pancake batter baked in a paper cup and drizzled with toppings.

As I read this article, I became more and more horrified. This is what we’re eating? Portable food molded into cups for our cars that is so unbelievably processed you wonder what chemistry experiment you’re truly eating. Yes, I now have no problem believing that half of America will be obese by 2030. Even when I was overweight and I snacked, I still ate two normal meals a day. I tended to skip breakfast or make a Diet Pepsi and the occasional gas station donut breakfast, but I ate a normal lunch and normal dinner.

If they are going to market these snacks, the least they could do is find healthier options than pancakes in a cup or fried chicken. America is in deep trouble and this article made me realize it’s only going to get worse. There are a ton of simple, easy recipes out there that use fresh ingredients and make for great leftovers. Start using your stove top instead of your cup holder. Make your snacks pieces of fruit and nuts to give you energy throughout the day. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, but don’t forget lunch and dinner.

Half of America Obese by 2030?

ABC News: Half of America Obese By 2030?

I read the above article tonight on ABC News and was shocked to find that if we keep going at our current rate, 50% of America will be obese by the year 2030. That’s not just overweight or carrying around some extra pounds, that is obese. According to the article, this will end up costing Americans $66 billion a year in health costs.

I don’t know why, but this shocks me. I cannot believe that our obesity rate is this bad. I don’t know why I can’t believe it given our society. Everywhere I look food is processed, frozen or bought from a take-out chain. A large majority of people I know or am acquainted with don’t exercise regularly. I guess it isn’t that shocking when I really start to look around me and our country, but still, to comprehend that one out of every 2 people will be obese by 2030 is crazy. My family of 3 are all slender. My dad and I work out regularly and watch what we eat. My mother is just one of those lucky folks with sky high metabolism. Yet, according to the statistic, one of my family could be obese in 20 years.

This country needs drastic, severe help to stop this. We’re already in deep economical trouble and our healthcare system is a mess, if we had another $66 billion in healthcare costs every year, we’ll really be in trouble. We’re one of the wealthiest nations in the world and yet our health seems to be among the poorest, even including some third world countries.

Michelle Obama has initiated programs to improve school lunches and her “Let’s Move” exercise campaign, but we need a massive overhaul to fix this situation. Left and right, more and more fast food restaurants are opening up in my town, despite the economy. Yet, in reality, junk food is actually fairly expensive. It’s just faster than cooking your own food. But if people could realize that they could save money by not eating out so much, then maybe they’d be willing to sacrifice some extra time. A thirty minute walk 3 times a week makes a huge difference for a person’s health, yet millions of people claim they have no time to do it. In a week of 168 hours, you really can’t spare 1.5 hours to improve your health?

America has been a leader in so many things around the world both now and in history. We need to be a leader again, in good health, not in obesity. Change your future and start making small changes today. Lao Tzu said, “the journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step.” Pack a bag of carrot sticks and head out on a 30 minute walk. Repeat three times a week. That’s making a small change that will deliver a big impact.

Ready for an Overweight President?

Will America Vote for An Overweight President?

Yesterday I saw an article on ABC News about New Jersey governor Chris Christie’s possible run for president in 2012. The article was wondering if America would vote for an overweight man to become president and based on the article’s preliminary information, it sounded like no. Although I was appalled, I guess I can say that I really wasn’t that shocked. Or was I?

The world of politics has gotten more and more corrupt over the years and in the world of 24 hour news, nothing is a secret. Sex scandals, prejudice, faux-pas are all the norm now in politics. Yet those things are overlooked and accepted. Sure Clinton got into some trouble with the ladies and was impeached, but face it, he was an extremely popular president and considered very, very successful. Bush faced controversy by getting us into the Iraq war and the mess that led to, yet he was reelected.

To me, those seem like pretty big issues, but yet the thing America will hold against a potential candidate is their weight. Is it right that someone who could potentially be a fantastic leader of this nation (I know nothing about him or his political views so please take this theoretically) be held back from the position just because he weighs a lot? Are we really that shallow?

The article argues that Americans want a healthy president in office due to the fact it is such a high stress job and being in good health is key to handle it. Yet, one in three Americans is obese and the rate is expected to climb over the years. So isn’t that a little the pot calling the kettle black?

Entertainer Kelly Osbourne said she received far more flack in the press for her weight than she ever did for her numerous trips to rehab to battle drug and alcohol addiction. The first things tabloids point out once a star has had a baby is how fast they are back to their regular body and have lost the baby weight.

For a country with an obesity epidemic as high as ours, we sure are hypocritical to our leaders, entertainers and other public figures in expect rail thin, health freaks when we as a nation can’t seem to accomplish it.

I personally think that when choosing a president, I care more about his views on different global and national issues and whether or not he can help our country over his weight. I do agree that the president should be healthy, but I think all people should strive to be healthy. And I’m certainly not going to base my vote on a candidate’s weight.

Weight Watchers a Success

ABC News: Weight Watchers Most Effective Diet

A recent study has shown that the popular diet Weight Watchers is the most effective weight loss plan. Over 700 obese adults in Australia, the UK and Germany were studied and given different diet plans. Those who did watchers as opposed to checking in with a regular nutritionist or doctor as well as other plans were the most successful.

Weight Watchers participants lost on average about 11 pounds while those on other plans lost only 5 pounds. The diet is basically calorie counting and portion control, but uses an easier, faster system with points. No food is off-limits in Weight Watchers and it is basically a lifestyle change as opposed to a weird, fad diet.

I can see how it would be the most successful. Not only is the food plan the most realistic, but the weekly group support can really do wonders for people in terms of sticking with it. It helps to have other people in your situation and share your highs and lows of the week.

I basically did Weight Watchers when I started losing weight, though I just counted calories and kept a food journal. No foods were off-limits as long as they fit within my daily allotment of calories. This is honestly the simplest method to losing weight and it is the most successful because people CAN stick to it. It is a lifestyle change of cutting portions and exercising. That can be done over a lifetime. Never eating carbs again or drinking liquid syrup with lemon juice cannot be maintained!

The only downside to Weight Watchers is that it’s somewhat expensive. Plans can cost as much as $40 a month, which is a lot of money depending on your income level. However, think of all the money you’ll save in medications and doctor visits if you can get your weight and health under control. You only get one life and it’s worth investing in. Try Weight Watchers or just try keeping an online food journal like I did. Small steps make the biggest change.

World’s Heaviest Woman

People Magazine: World\'s Heaviest Woman

People Magazine ran an article online yesterday about the world’s heaviest living woman, an American named Pauline. She will go in the Guinness Book of World Records for weighing 643 pounds in February 2011, though she now thinks she’s closer to 700 pounds. First of all, I find these types of stats for the Guinness Book as sad and degrading. I’m all for keeping track of world records for sport accomplishments or things like the fastest car, tallest building, but there are so many bizarre stats in that book like weight that are horrible.

Reading the article in People, I felt really sad. She obviously wants and needs help and is feeling so lost and desperate, that she thinks the only way she can get it is by putting herself in the Guinness Book. She is hoping a doctor or nutritionist will help her by seeing her story in this book. Meanwhile she’s enduring even more ridicule and judgement as a result.

Granted, one can argue she has no one to blame for her weight but herself, though obviously some genetics play a role here given her size. Not to mention she seems to have a food addiction problem to get to the size she is. No matter what, she definitely doesn’t want to be there and doesn’t know what to do. It’s obviously not as simple as “quit eating so much” with someone her size.

It’s interesting that you never hear about the thinnest woman or thinnest man in these books. I’m guessing it’s probably in there since everything else is, but it’s not a headline making statistic like the overweight people are. Biggest Loser gets quite a media buzz whenever they have the largest contestant on the show whether it’s the largest man, largest woman or largest person overall, their ratings skyrocket.

Overweight people are dealing with so much more than just simply eating too much. They have deeper issues that cause them to behave that way both mentally and probably a lot of genetics too. Yet, they are splashed all over the media to be laughed at and judged. I sincerely hope that someone in the health profession does help Pauline. She is asking for it and is willing to lose her pride and dignity with the Guinness Book to get it.

If you know someone who is overweight and has said they need help, help them. Don’t laugh or judge, but actually help them. Whether it’s being their workout buddy or ordering something healthy at a restaurant so they don’t feel left out when they do, it’s the small steps that lead to big changes.

5 Steps to a Healthier Life

Starting a new diet or exercise plan can seem really overwhelming. Whether you’ve tried and failed on numerous occasions or have a lot of weight to lose, surmounting the weight demon can seem impossible. The way I achieved my weight loss success was through a series of small steps. I couldn’t imagine a drastic change in my life when I was going through recovery from surgery, so I made small changes. These are 5 simple steps that I feel will really help you make a change in your life for the better without being overwhelmed.

1. Keep a Food Journal
Start keeping a food journal. Use an online resource like My-Calorie-Counter.com or Livestrong.com and record everything you eat for a full week. Write down the good and the bad and see what you consume in a week. Let’s say you’re consuming 2700 calories a day, which is a pretty big number. Rather than doing something drastic like cutting it down to 1500, cut it by 500 calories a day. It’s a small amount you won’t probably notice, but this allows you to lose a pound a week at a healthy, safe rate. As you lose weight, adjust your caloric intake gradually.

2. Go the Distance
Start incorporating small forms of exercise into your daily life. Park your car in the furthest slot away from the door so you have to walk more. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Go for a 20 minute walk after dinner. Start small. If you try to take on a huge exercise program right off the bat, chances are you’re going to get sore and give up. Try to move for 30 minutes a day. If you can keep that up for a month or so, join a gym.

3. It’s All Greek to Me
There’s a reason the Mediterranean Diet is worshipped by doctors for its health and nutritional benefits. One of the big staples is Greek yogurt. Use plain non-fat Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream or heavy cream in recipes. You can’t taste the difference and you cut hundreds of calories with this simple substitution.

4. Breakfast of Champions
Eat a good breakfast. A good breakfast is not a donut in your company’s break room nor is it an Egg McMuffin. And don’t go thinking you can skip out on this important meal. Eating a healthy, well-balanced breakfast will jump start your metabolism working right away. If you don’t eat in the morning, your metabolism slows because your body thinks it’s in starvation mode. You feel sluggish and irritated because you have no nutrients to get you fired up in the morning.

Try 1/4 Cup Greek Yogurt, 1/4 Cup Non-Fat Milk, 8 Blueberries, 4 – 5 Strawberries, and 1/4 TSP of Honey for a great morning smoothie. Eat with a slice of bread with 1 TBS of Peanut Butter. This 350 calorie breakfast will keep you full and get the metabolism going.

5. Be Strong
Lift weights. Cardio is an extremely important part of exercising. It burns calories and builds a very strong and healthy heart. However, you can reap far more benefits from your cardio workout if you incorporate a good strength training program as well. Lifting weights builds muscle which burns fat. You will burn more fat if you both strength train and do cardio. Ladies, you will not bulk up and look like a guy with strength training. It is healthy and especially necessary for women to prevent osteoporosis.

Remember, start small and work your way up. Don’t get discouraged. Know that making small steps towards a healthy life will result in a big payoff.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Produce Section

I went on vacation in June and indulged greatly in culinary delights. I was on a cruise through Italy, Greece, Turkey and Israel, I was not about to eat healthy. I hit the gym and running track every other day, plus walked a lot. But when you eat gelato 4 times a day, it’s bound to catch up with you. I gained 5 lbs upon my return on June 28. Today I lost the last pound, so the mission has been accomplished.

Before I went on vacation, I was able to be a bit more lax with my food than I had been during my weight loss. I could splurge a little more and was playing roulette with the scale. I kept not gaining and was getting to sneak in a few extra treats——ice cream and fries. When I returned from my trip and saw the 5 lb weight gain, I got very strict with my food again. My splurge days turned into one day a week, but I was much more meticulous and anal about what I ate and writing it down.

A funny thing happened during all this. I actually feel better than I did before. I have an ulcer as a result of the medications I had to take during my surgical recovery, so I was downing Maalox most nights after I ate. Once I switched over to a 100% fresh, whole foods diet and didn’t veer away except once a week, the Maalox went back in the medicine cabinet. Could it be all those health experts and doctors are right? Does eating healthy make you feel better? Eeek! Who knew? The even funnier thing is that I don’t really want to go back to getting extra treats and splurges even if the scale did stay the same. I feel sick when I eat out at restaurants more than once. Fast food really tastes gross now for the most part.

I really am happier and feeling better just eating my fruit for a snack, carrot sticks, yogurt. I’m doing a lot better in the gym too with my running and stamina, and it’s probably because I’m fueling my body with the proper nutrition. Whodathunkit?

Don’t get me wrong—my once a week treat of pizza or some ice cream is really good. I still enjoy it. But I can’t eat more than that now. I actually crave fresh fruit and am not really tempted by fast food as much anymore. It just doesn’t taste very good and I usually feel pretty crappy by the end of the day.

I’ll keep these habits up for the long-term now even though I’m not trying to lose anymore weight. I love feeling so good and having more success with my workouts. Try it out. It may seem tedious at first and you may madly crave French fries, but if you eat really healthy for several weeks, suddenly a bowl of cherries may be the best snack ever.

What’s In YOUR Cart?

Today, I went grocery shopping after work. It’s funny, but in the last few months I’ve begun to really look at what is inside someone’s grocery cart. I constantly hear from people that they don’t understand why they’re overweight, but it never occurs to them to change what is being purchased at the grocery store. I don’t say this to sound sanctimonious now that I’ve figured out how to eat healthy, I say it because I think the ignorance is genuine. People don’t realize what is in food both in terms of fat and calories, but also preservatives, sugar and sodium.

Many foods advertised as low fat/low cal are often compensated by being sky high in sugar and sodium. If you buy anything within the interior aisles of the supermarket, chances are your food is loaded with preservatives and other unpleasant chemicals, fillers and calories.

When you go grocery shopping, really try to stick to the perimeter of the store. This is typically where fresh produce, meats and the bakery are located. Once you start venturing down the aisles, you will encounter foods that come in a box, can or frozen section which usually means chemicals, preservatives, extra fat/calories/sodium. Go grocery shopping with a clear list and a clear head. Don’t shop while you’re on the phone or otherwise distracted. This can cause you not to read labels and buy impulsively. Take the time to read labels—look not only for nutritional information but find out if the meat or produce is organic or where it’s from.

Shopping healthy is, unfortunately, fairly expensive. My grocery bill for me this week was nearly $65. The majority of the food I bought today will only last me one week, though some of it can be frozen and saved for a later date (i.e. chicken breast strips were buy one, get one free, so one went into the freezer). That’s a lot of money for a single person. Try to watch the mail for grocery store inserts to see who is having sales on lean meats and produce. This will help in your overall bill reduction.

For example today, I didn’t have time to stop at Sunflower Market, which is where I typically buy most of my produce and all of my meat. It’s usually all organic but incredibly cheap (a 6-pack of chicken drumsticks is as low as $1.50). So I had to hit the main supermarket for everything. Their organic chicken was $8 a package, which is crazy expensive. Non-organic chicken was $4.50 for a package, but this week with my shopper’s card, I could get two packages of the organic chicken for $8 since it was BOGO. Watch for these kind of deals and stock up.

Try shopping the perimeter for one week. Make all of your meals fresh at home. If you are working or busy with a family, make large quantities and freeze it for the week so you have more time. Although I still seriously heart my ice cream, I can guarantee you will feel so much better cooking with only fresh ingredients. So put the Hamburger Helper back on the shelf and give this challenge a try.

Share your grocery cart contents!

What I Bought at the Grocery Store Today
Blueberries, Strawberries, Plums, Cherries, Watermelon, Red/Green/Orange Peppers, Corn on the Cob, Sliced roast beef from deli, 93% lean ground beef, organic chicken breast strips, whole grain white Wonder bread (I can’t get on the whole wheat band wagon, just can’t do it!!!), fettucini noodles, egg noodles, 1 healthy request cream of mushroom soup, 2 quarts of Greek yogurt, low-fat string cheese, parmesan cheese, reduced fat cream cheese (for a recipe).